Contemporary Graphic Design
Taschen

This compendium showcases the extraordinary cutting-edge work of 100 of the world’s most progressive graphic designers, from the hard-hitting political messages of Jonathan Barnbrook to the lyrical digital compositions of Peter Saville to the iconoclastic imagery of Stefan Sagmeister. www.taschen.com

Visible Lives
Kensington Publishing
Three bestselling authors (Terrance Dean, James Earl Hardy and Stanley Bennett Clay) come together to produce Visible Lives, as a powerful tribute to the late E. Lynn Harris (whose novels about successful and glamorous black men with sexual identity conflicts). In Visible Lives, readers are introduced to three novellas House of John, The Intern and Is it Still Jood to Ya. www.kensingtonbooks.com

Normal Miguel
Author: Erik Orrantia
Cheyenne Publishing
Miguel Hernández is a teacher who has left Mexico City to complete a one year student internship in the rural hills of Puebla. He came to the school intending to focus on his teaching and his students but quickly learns that it is impossible to keep his private and professional lives separate—particularly as his experience turns into a voyage of self-discovery. www.cheyennepublishing.com

Madre and I
A Memoir of Our Immigrant Lives
Author: Guillermo Reyes
Guillermo Reyes untangles his life as the secretly illegitimate son of a Chilean immigrant to the United States and as a young man struggling with sexual repression, body image, and gay identity. But this is a double-decker memoir that also tells the poignant, bittersweet, and adventurous story of Guillermo’s mother María. www.uwpress.wisc.edu

CDs

Kevin Rudolf – To The Sky
Cash Money Records

Kevin combines genres and knocks down pre-conceived notions about mixing musical flavors, as he does on his riveting new single I Made It (Cash Money Heroes), delivering his signature power-punch on every song. His ear for seamlessly blending rock, pop and hip hop has never been sharper.

Lolene – The Electrick Hotel
Capitol Records
The British dance floor barbarella plays hostess at The Electrick Hotel and is ready to invite the world to check-in and stay a while. Each of the 15 songs on the album represents a different room in the hotel and each tells a story, capturing a different part of Lolene’s personality. The album’s first single is “Rich (Fake It Till You Make It)”.

Sarah McLachlan – Laws of Illusion
Arista
In Lawas of Illusion, Sarah looks at love “from both sides now.” The opening track, “Awakenings,” moves on a subdued electronic pulse underpinning ethereal guitar lines and – as the singer soars into her upper register – demonstrates her ability to craft an unforgettable “hook” without hitting the listener over the head with it.

Moby – Wait Fo Me. Remixes!
Mute
An album consisting of reworked versions of tracks from the critically acclaimed ‘Wait For Me’, released through Mute last year. Moby has enlisted some of dance music’s biggest names for the project including Tiesto, Laidback Luke, Gui Boratto, and Carl Cox. Preceding the release of the remix album, Moby released new single ‘Wait For Me’.

Andy Bell – Non-Stop
Mute
Coisseurs of deluxe dance-pop, seductive electro anthems and gold-plated grooves. Andy Bell releases Non-Stop’s first single, Call On Me. Featuring an exclusive track, Had It All. Andy Bell has also announced a remix competition giving entrants the chance to have their remix for Say What You Want on www.andybell.com

DVDs

Remember Me
Summit Home Entertainment

College student Tyler is still feeling lost from the tragedy that has strained his relationship with his father when he meets Ally a girl who understands his pain. The last thing Tyler’s looking for is love, but through their passionate relationship, he finds new possibilities for happiness. An unforgettable story about the power of the heart.

8 The Mormon Proposition
Wolfe Video

A searing indictment of the Mormon Church’s historic involvement in the promotion and passage of California’s Proposition 8, and the Mormon religion’s secretive, decades-long campaign against gay rights. Narrated by Dustin Lance Black, Academy Award® winning screenwriter of MILK.

My Year Without Sex
Strand Releasing

Can you imagine a whole year without sex? Facing tight finances, a medical crisis, uncertain jobs and wild kids, Natalie and Ross find themselves in that very predicament. Against the backdrop of a society where everything is a competition of bigger and better, Natalie and Ross try to navigate their way in a world suddenly turned on its head.

ER: The Complete Thirteenth Season
Warner Home Video
This season, Dr. Tony Gates returns to the ER, now as an intern, with a straightforward attitude and a complicated personal life. He is Dr. Gallant’s opposite: brash, cocksure, with a bad-boy past, and maybe the right prescription for Neela’s broken heart. Further shaking up the ER, Weaver decides to leave County General for a career move you wouldn’t expect.

The Book of Eli
Warner Home Video
Empty cities, seared earth, no law enforcement—A peace-seeking warrior, Eli will cut his attackers down, if challenged, to guard a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years – his hope for the future. Only one other man understands the power Eli holds. When Carnegie seeks to make Eli’s power his own, Eli must keep moving to fulfill his destiny.

In The Heights
2008 Tony® Winner – BEST MUSICAL
The Pantages Theatre
June 22 – July 25, 2010
Travel on an exhilarating journey into a vibrant Manhattan community – a place where the coffee is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. Experience the next chapter of the classic American story at the most joyous, exciting and award-winning new musical on Broadway.
http://www.broadwayla.org/production/show.info.asp?ID=27

Books

Michelangelo – Life and Work
Taschen
A glorious exploration of Michelangelo’s complete works.
The first part concentrates on the life of Michelangelo via an extensive and copiously illustrated biographical essay; the main body of the book presents his work in four parts providing a complete analytical inventory of Michelangelo’s paintings, sculptures, buildings and drawings. Gorgeous, full page reproductions and enlarged details bring readers up close to the works.
www.taschen.com

Between Boyfriends
Author: Michael Salvatore
Kensington
Steven Ferrante is a thirty-something, Italian Catholic, and most frustratingly, single gay man who is attempting to build the foundation for a happy life. He loves his sharp-tongued, loyal friends, his chaotic job, and his crazy Sicilian mother, but four years after his boyfriend kicked him to the curb, Steven is still trying to find a replacement. We wants…somebody to love.
www.kensingtonbooks.com

Glow of Our Sweat
Author: Francisco Aragón
A collection of original poems, translations, and poetics. Aragón enacts a dialogue between poetry and prose, memory and imagination, self and other, as he deftly begins to un-“cover” a road where a “gay,” “Latino,” and “cosmopolitan” poet fully inhabits the world.
www.scapegoat-press.com

CDs

Diego Torres – Distinto
Universal Music
El primer sencillo de este nuevo disco de Diego Torres “Guapa” ya se encuentra en los primeros lugares de popularidad en la mayoría de los países de habla hispana. Diego colaboró en las letras y arreglos de todos los temas. Cuenta con la colaboración de tres artistas: Mala Rodríguez, Kevin Johansen, y Yotuel de Orishas.

Marc Anthony – Iconos
Sony Music Entertainment
“Iconos” es un escogido de ocho temas de algunos de los cantantes admirados por Marc que han definido y dejado una gran huella en la historia de la música, entre ellos: José Luis Perales, Juan Gabriel, Roberto Carlos y José José e incluye además dos temas originales. El primer sencillo es “Y Cómo es Él”.

DVDs

Harlem Hostel
Maya Home Entertainment

Cansado de vivir con su madre y su novio, un tipo responsable y un poco alterable decide comprar un apartamento con sus inmaduros amigos. Pero lo que parecía ser un apartamento perfecto en Harlem termina siendo justamente lo contrario. Para poder pagar la renta, el lugar acaba transformándose en un hotal.

Alice in Wonderland
Walt Disney Studios

Alice, now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny. Wonderland is a world beyond your imagination and unlike anything you’ve seen before. The extraordinary characters you’ve loved come to life richer and more colorful than ever. On DVD June 1.

By Alberto Orozco
aorozco@adelantemagazine.com

Chino & Nacho – Mi Niña Bonita
Machete Music
Con una compilación de 12 de los éxitos del dúo en Sur América e incluye colaboraciones con Don Omar y RKM & Ken-Y. El primer sencillo de esta producción es Niña Bonita, la cual es un fenómeno digital.

La canción illustra la versatilidad del dúo en una fusión de música urbana con elementos claros de la música tropical contemporánea.

Jon Secada –Clásicos
Big 3 Records

Clásicos es una recopilación de canciones románticas y eternas, que fueron hechas famosas en ambos idiomas por algunos de los artistas de más renombre mundial, tal como Elvis, Perry Como, Doris Day, Richie Valens y Frank Sinatra, entre otros. El CD está a la venta en ediciones en español e inglés.

Tracey Thorn – Love And Its Opposite
Merge Records

Partnering again with Berlin-based producer Ewan Pearson, Tracey has created an album that is striking in its simplicity. Recorded in Berlin and London, and featuring guest contributions as Al Doyle, Leo Taylor, Jens Lekman, Cortney Tidwell and Jono Ma, Love and Opposite is steeped in a compassionate directness.

Macy Gray – The Sellout
Concord Records
The Sellout is the Grammy Award winning singer’s first album in more than 3 years and will be in stores on June 22nd. The first single Beauty in the World is available digitally. The Sellout features 12 new songs, was co-written and executive produced by Gray in Los Angeles throughout 2009. The album also features Lately.

Christina Aguilera – Bionic
RCA Records
Bionic is Aguilera’s first new album in four years. Not Myself Tonight, the first single of her upcoming album has annihilated the competition coming in at the most added song at both Top 40 and Rhythm Radio on its first week, and its available on iTunes and AmazonMP3. Bionic will be released on June 8th, 2010.

DVDs

Edge of Darkness
Warner Home Video

The bullet that killed his daughter was meant for Boston cop Thomas Craven. That’s what police brass and Craven himself think, but that’s not what the investigation finds. Clue after clue and witness after witness, the search leads him into a shadowy realm where money and political intrigue intersect. On DVD May 11.

Colección Pedro Infante
Warner Home Video

En celebración del bicentenario de la independencia de México, Warner lanza tres colecciones especiales de 4 películas cada una del ícono mexicano Pedro Infante.

Los primeros tres lanzamientos son: El Comediante, El Amante, El Cantante. Disponibles en DVD el 4 de mayo.

The Girl On The Train
Strand Releasing

Jeanne lives in a house in the suburbs with her mother Louise. Louise harbors the hope of getting her daughter a job with Samuel Bleistein, a famous lawyer whom she knew in her youth. Jeanne and Samuel will be set on a collision course because of an incredible lie that Jeanne invents. On DVD May 18.

And Then Came Lola
Wolfe Video

Lola, on the verge of success in both love and work, could lose it all if she doesn’t make it to a crucial meeting on time. But, as usual, Lola is late. With her job and girlfriend Casey on the line, she has three chances to make it right. In a desperate race, time grows short – will Lola make it? On DVD May 18.

Thirty Something: The Complete Third Season
Shout! Factory
Thirtysomething channeled the consciousness of baby boomers into a running commentary on what it really meant to be on the cusp of success and failure, marriage and divorse, adulthood and parenthood. Each episode of this truly groundbreaking series was its own unit yet somehow fed a larger, growing experience from week to week. On DVD May 11.

CHICAGO
The Pantages Theatre
April 20 – May 9, 2010

There’s never been a better time to experience CHICAGO, Broadway’s razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical is the recipient of six Tony Awards®, two Olivier Awards, a Grammy® and thousands of standing ovations. A sensational tale of sin, corruption and all that jazz, it’s no surprise that CHICAGO has wowed audiences from Mexico City to Moscow, from Sao Paulo to South Africa. And now it’s coming to your town! If you’re looking for your first Broadway musical CHICAGO has everything you could want: knockout dancing, an edge-of-your-seat story and one showstopper after another. If you loved the Academy Award®-winning film, nothing beats the live show, and if you are already intimately acquainted with the musical, experience that sizzle again, CHICAGO always delivers!
www.broadwayla.org

Concert

Santa Cecilia Orchestra celebrates Mexico!
Sunday, April 25, 2010, 4:00pm
Occidental College’s Thorne Hall

2010 is the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s Independence and the 100th anniversary of its Revolution. Santa Cecilia Orchestra, an orchestra with a special mission to serve the Latino community, will celebrate these two momentous events with a concert featuring works from Mexico’s greatest composers. A befitting celebration for this significant year since the largest concentration of Mexicans in the United States is found in Los Angeles.
www.scorchestra.org

In Theaters

MANUELA AND MANUEL
Deep inside, Manuel has always been Manuela. Amidst her worst love crisis, Manuela reinvents herself as Manuel in order to pass as the fiancée of her best friend Coca – who is pregnant from a one-night stand and must face her conservative family. Hidden identities, misunderstandings, and the tension between two friends pretending to be what they are not, stage a colorful and up-beat story. MANUELA AND MANUEL is a visually captivating comedy about two friends performing in the melodrama of Latin America life.
RT: 94 min., in Spanish with English subtitles, Rated PG-13.

The film will be running starting on April 2 in Los Angeles at Laemmle’s Sunset 5. www.regentreleasing.com

CDs

Julieta Venegas – Otra Cosa
Sony Music Latin
Vuelve a la escena musical una de mis cantantes favoritas luego de su exitoso disco MTV Unplugged. Otra Cosa tiene el sonido característico de Julieta Venegas, destacando instrumentos como el piano y el acordeón. Su primer sencillo es “Bien o mal”, otros temas muy buenos en el disco incluye “Amores Platónicos”, “Revolución”. Etc.

Prince Royce
Top Stop Music
Llega Prince Royce con un disco bachatero como pocas veces se ha visto, ya que en el cover que hace del tema “Stand by Me” combina partes en inglés y partes en español, haciendo de este tema un éxito rotundo. Actualmente se escucha fuertemente en la radio y en los clubs. Se le augura un gran éxito a Prince Royce en la escena musical.

Jorge Drexler – Amar la trama
Warner Music Latina

Amar la trama tiene una sincera calidez que envuelve unas canciones elegantes, con las que Drexler sigue demostrando que es un maestro a la hora de idear melodías inolvidables que se nutren tanto de la pulsión urbana como de esos ritmos cadenciosos propios de Río de la Plata.

Miguel Bosé – Cardio
Warner Music Latina
Luego del éxito de Papito, disco con el cual Miguel celebró 30 años de carrera artística y que durante dos años fue el disco más vendido en todos los mercados latinos llega Cardio, con canciones que aparentemente no pretenden decir casi nada y que sin embargo acaban diciéndolo casi todo, con su estilo muy particular y un toque electrónico.

Shontelle – No Gravity
SRC/Universal/Motown records

Licky is being released to the clubs while the stunning ballad Impossible is constantly hitting the radio with major pop and rhythmic stations already buzzing over her phenomenal vocal performance. Shontelle also toured with Beyoncé throughout Europe last summer.

DVDs

The Blind Side
Warner Home Video
Teenager Michael is living on his own when he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy. Learning that the young man is one of her daughter’s classmates, Leigh Anne invites him to stay at the Tuohy home for the night. What starts out as a gesture of kindness turns into something more as Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family despite the differences in their backgrounds.

Avatar
Fox Home Entertainment

Avatar is the highest grossing film of all time, taking in over $2.6 billion in worldwide box office. Director James Cameron takes audiences to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. On DVD and Blu-ray April 22.

Easier with Practice
Breaking glass pictures
Tells the touching and provocative story of Davy, a 28-year-old writer on a road trip to promote his unpublished collection of short stories. A random phone call from a mysterious, sexy woman named Nicole leads to a series of emotionally and sexually satisfying phone sex sessions that him on a quest to find out the truth about who she is.
On DVD April 6.

The Missing Person
Strand Releasing
John Rosow, a private detective hired to tail a man, Harold Fullmer, on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles. Rosow gradually uncovers Harold’s identity as a missing person; one of the thousands presumed dead after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Persuaded by a large reward, Rosow is charged with bringing Harold back to his wife in New York City against his will.

Cómo no te voy a querer
Maya Home Entertainment
Hugo y Julia son dos chicos estudiantes, con diferentes sueños y metas, pero que comparten la pasión por el equipo de fútbol Pumas. Hugo se deja arrastrar por su sueño de ser jugador profesional de fútbol, descuidando tanto su relación con Julia, como sus estudios, pero sobre todo los valores con los que ha sido educado. Ahora en DVD.

CATS
The Pantages Theatre – March 9 – 21, 2010
There’s no better way to introduce your family to the wonders of live theater than with the magic, the mystery, the memory of CATS. What began as a musical about cats after Andrew Lloyd Webber picked up a book of poems in an airport bookshop has become one of the longest running shows in Broadway’s history. Winner of seven Tony Awards® including Best Musical, CATS features 20 of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s timeless melodies, including the hit song, “Memory.” For more information visit www.broadwayla.org

CDs

Sade – Soldier of Love
Epic

The feel of the music this time had moved away from the old country soul styling of Lover’s Rock and assumed a more eclectic identity. With songs such as the joyously quirky reggae chant Babyfather, and the dramatically arranged album opener The Moon and the Sky, Sade are exploring new territory.

Camila – Dejarte de Amar
Sony Music Latin
Uno de los nuevos grupos musicales más exitosos y prometedores, Camila, ¡está de regreso! Su primer sencillo, es una balada titulada Mientes. Han sido tres años de triunfos ininterrumpidos desde que Camila sacó su primer álbum, Todo Cambió, y ahora están de vuelta, con música más poderosa, romántica y conmovedora.

Contra – Vampire Weekend
KL Recordings
Contra pulls off a series of impressive feats: It chews ravenously through sound palettes and rhythms, and yet it’s nimble and assured. The songs are catchy, fast, twinkling, clattering – the darker themes of loss, doubt and regret accumulate almost imperceptibly, but they land a powerful blow.

Aleks Syntek – Métodos de Placer Instantáneo
EMI Music México
Para Métodos de Placer Instantáneo, Aleks buscó que músicos de diferentes ritmos trabajaran con él, entre los que están algunos de ensamble de orquesta, salsa, rock y, obviamente pop, por lo que este disco es una mezcla de colores y sabores con los que el cantautor busca reinventarse. Loca es el primer sencillo.

Los Chieftains – San Patricio
Disquera Fantasy
El album de el grupo de música Irlandés más celebre del mundo revive la leyenda del batallón de San Patricio, héroes desconocidos de la Guerra mexicano-norteamericana con la aparición de invitados especiales como Linda Ronstadt, Liam Neeson, Lila Downs, Los Tigres del Norte, Carlos Nuñez entre otros.

DVDs

Mejor es que Gabriela no se Muera
Maya Home Entertainment
Miguel, el escritor de una tórrida telenovela es detenido por Bracho, un grueso policía de mediana edad, quien es un gran fan de la novela. Miguel le revela algunos detalles de capítulos futuros pero después se ve obligado a hacer cambios con la historia. Bracho se convierte en el centro de todas las bromas por parte de sus compañeros policías y presiona a Miguel para que cambie la historia.

The Box
Warner Home Video
What if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you a million dollars…but simultaneously take the life of someone you don’t know? With only 24 hours to make their choice, Norma and Arthur face a momentous moral dilemma. They soon discover that the ramifications of their decision are beyond their control and extend far beyond their own fortune and fate.

The Bible Stories: Jesus
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

This inspirational movie traces the life and death of Jesus through his resurrection.

Jesus not only reinforces the ideals of the New Testament but shows Jesus as a complex individual, conflicted over his feelings for Lazarus’s sister, Mary, and tempted by Satan to stray from his path.

The Wedding Song
Strand Releasing
Tunis, 1942. Nour and Myriam, 16, have been friends since childhood. They share the same house in a modest neighborhood where Jews and Muslims live in harmony. Each girl secretly desires the other’s life: while Nour regrets that she doesn’t go to school, Myriam dreams of love. Political upheaval and turmoil conspire to keep Myriam from her dream as well.

Where The Wild Things Are
Warner Home Video
Max, a disobedient little boy, is sent to bed by his mother without any supper. Feeling hurt and unloved, he channels his anger, and continuing his mischievous antics in his room, he creates his own imaginary world which includes a forest, a massive ocean and a small boat, which he uses to sail away to a land inhabited by monsters – Wild Things – who crown him king.

The Color Purple
Pantages Theatre – February 10-28, 2010
Oprah Winfrey Presents THE COLOR PURPLE. It is the unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who finds her unique voice in the world. Nominated for eleven Tony Awards®, THE COLOR PURPLE is a landmark theatrical event, a celebration of love, and a Broadway phenomenon. With a joyous GRAMMY®-nominated score featuring jazz, gospel and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is capturing the hearts of young and old, and uniting audiences in a community of joy.
For tickets or more information please visit www.broadwayla.org

CDs

Laura Pausini – Laura Live – Gira Mundial ’09
Warner Music Latina

Un CD/DVD en vivo, totalmente en español que recoge algunas de sus actuaciones durante su exitosa gira mundial “Primavera Anticipada” en lugares desde Helsinki a Latinoamérica y pasando por Italia, además incluye tres temas inéditos “Con la música en la radio”, “Menos mal”, y “Ella no soy”.

Ke$ha – Animal
Kemosabe Entertainment / RCA Records

Ke$ha, who co-wrote every track on the album, describes Animal as “electro pop magic,” and indeed the album is an edgy collection of hard-hitting electro-pop songs, made all the more irresistible by their high-octane punk energy and Ke$ha’s frank lyrics and irreverent attitude. Her first single is “TiK ToK”.

Chayanne – No Hay Imposibles
Sony Music Latin
Me Enamoré de Ti es el primer sencillo del tan esperado nuevo disco de Chayanne No Hay Imposibles, este tema es también el tema principal de la exitosa telenovela Corazón Salvaje de la cadena mexicana Televisa. El Gusman Center for the Performing Arts de Miami sirvió de escenario en la grabación del video de Me Enamoré de Ti. El disco sale a la venta el 23 de febrero.

Raphael – Canciones de Amor
Sony Music
Raphael, uno de los gigantes de la canción, en sus 50 años de carrera, se ha paseado con éxito por los escenarios más prestigiosos del mundo. Es por ello que Sony Music lo incluye en un grupo selecto de cantantes que forman parte de esta colección “Canciones de Amor”. Sin duda un CD especial para celebrar el Día de San Valentín.

2010 GRAMMY® Nominees
EMI Music
The disc contains many of the most widely recognized GRAMMY categories with the 20 tracks representing nominees for Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.

DVDs

Once Upon A Time In Rio
Maya Home Entertainment
Dé y Nina vienen de dos mundos enfrentados: él es un joven trabajador que vive en las favelas; ella es una estudiante de clase alta que vive en su burbuja de riqueza y de “seguridad”. Cruzando todos los límites los dos jóvenes se enamoran en el terreno compartido de la playa de Ipanema. Su amor verdadero pondrá a prueba los límtes de una sociedad fracturada.

Tennessee
Vivendi Entertainment

Brothers Carter and Ellis set out on a road trip to their childhood home in a desperate search for their estranged father, who may hold the key to their future. Along the way, they are joined by Krystal (Carey), who is fleeing a troubled life. Together, these unlikely companions seek to overcame their pasts and start anew. Now on DVD.

Praxis
Aristical Entertainment

With a foundation solidly entrenched in classic Greek mythology, Praxis centers on Brian who searches longingly for the basic thuths and meaning in both his life, and the universe around him. Fighting against fear and indifference in society, Brian’s quest mirrors that of Proteus who could see clearly through the entire depths of the sea.

Fame
MGM Home Entertainment
In the contemporary remake of the 1980 fan-favorite, the film follows a crew of dancers, singers, actors and artists over four years at the New York City High School of Performing Arts. In an incredibly competitive atmosphere, students, mentored by the best and toughest teachers, strive for their moment in the spotlight and find out who amongst them has what it takes to succeed. Now on DVD.

Mr. Right
Wolfe Video
Mr. Right is a fast-paced, colorful, and exuberantly romantic-comedy that tells the intertwined tales of Louise, an attractive single Brit looking for love and her gay friends, including TV producer Harry who lives with his rascal young actor boyfriend Alex; Rugby player William who dates soap star Lawrence; and wealthy artist Tom who is trying to hold on to the model Lars.

Now all of John’s tiara tantrums, rocky gay romances, mock marriages, sexual trysts, superficial suicide attempts and even the inspirational background stories to some of his biggest hits are meticulously sorted out in a new tell-all biography entitled, “Elton John: The Bitch is Back,” by New York Times best-seller Mark Bego.

Not that “Sharon” (John’s feminine alter-ego nickname) has really gone anywhere in the past forty years. The legendary diva has managed to grace the last four decades with 50 Top 40 hits amounting to more than 200 million units sold. He’s won five Grammys, a Tony and an Oscar for the Lion King. He’s headlined Vegas and has scored the Broadway musicals AIDA and Billy Elliot, as well as creating one of the world’s leading AIDS foundations that has given $125 million to support programs in 55 countries.

Despite John’s noncooperation on the unauthorized book, Bego nevertheless paints a poignant picture by piecing together dozens of past articles on the rocker as well as conducting new interviews with those closest to the ‘70s icon.

Bego’s repertoire of 54 biographies includes musical giants such as Michael Jackson, Cher, Madonna, Bette Midler and Mary Wilson of the Supremes. Although most of Bego’s books are unauthorized, he is still considered one of the most prolific and reliable writers in the music business, and The Bitch is Back is a marvelous account of the rock Mozart of our time.

Bego chronicles how the Princess of Pop blossomed from a pudgy musical prodigy named Reginald Kenneth Dwight into a self-promoting rock giant with a little help from his friends, particularly lyricist Bernie Taupin (his first platonic man-crush) and manager John Reid, with whom he had a covert real love affair. Most of John’s hit songs with Taupin took only minutes to write once he had the lyricist’s magic words in his hands. And while many of John’s biggest hits were about Bernie Taupin’s life (“Tiny Dancer,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Your Song”) there were a few memorable songs pertaining to John himself.

The song “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” was about his breakup with John Reid. His 1975 hit “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” was based on John’s feeble attempt to kill himself over a 1969 engagement to a pickle heiress (the sexually confused John popped his head in the gas oven with all the windows open). And “Blue Eyes” was not about blushing bride Renate Blauel but another male lover.

Bego’s first few chapters on John are compelling reading, as they detail John’s childhood, from when his mother first discovered that her three-year-old son could mimic a Classical waltz on the family’s upright piano to how John’s musical genius became a wedge between himself and other children as he grew into a nerdy teenager who preferred his collection of vinyl records to his boyhood friends.

John’s take on sex as an adolescent was a frightful one, as he was deeply confused about his sexuality. “At school I used to have crushes on people, but not really any sex at all, male or female . . . I never had any sex education . . . At school everyone boasted about sex. Meanwhile, I was dying to be molested by someone. . . . just to teach me, just to find out, you know?”

The real payoff in this bio is the story of John’s covert sexual relationships with his manager and the male lovers prior, during and after his sham of a marriage in 1984 when he wedded a woman just to appease his mum. Most fans don’t know about John or any gay celebrity’s intimate relationships, but Bego pulls out all the twisted wire hangers from John’s closet. It’s obvious that Sir Elton’s battered emotions from childhood and adolescence took a toll on the insecure performer’s personal life.

One of John’s lovers, an Aussie hottie, just kept taking John’s assortment of abusive behavior: infidelity, drugs, bulimia binges (the smell of vomit on John’s fingers), and the cruel abandonment of marrying Renate while still involved with the Aussie. The young man was able to strike back at John by writing his own memoir of the mistreatment by the obnoxious lover.

Besides the familiar rags-to-riches success story, Bego’s bio on John is really about a talented man who desperately wants to be loved, despite his insecurities and accomplishments. Bego reveals that John was unable to find or appreciate that love until he could learn to love himself, as he did when he finally checked into rehab, became clean and sober, confronted his sexuality, and found happiness with husband David Furnish in 1993.

The Bitch is Back is a reflective image of the fear and isolation many gays experience while growing up in a repressive heterosexual climate, regardless of their talents and despite the contributions they may be able to make to the world.

Bego’s book, unfortunately, doesn’t go into details on John’s relationship with Furnish, whom he married in 2005, but it’s still a fascinating read for any Elton John fan, and a perfect Valentine reminder about all the things a person shouldn’t do to his or her lover.

Book Review by Joe Castel

El ambiente que se vive en México 1900 es amigable y confortable, con el buen gusto que lo ha identificado por generaciones.

El lugar cuenta con su cantina, un salón para eventos especiales, y el restaurante dividido en dos secciones. Como parte de la decoración hay verdaderas obras de arte, figuras religiosas como un San Miguel Arcangel, y espejos con marcos muy interesantes.

Rodolfo Sánchez es uno de los dueños del lugar desde 1973 y cuando visité el restaurante platiqué con él sobre el lugar, incluso me comentó sobre algunos de sus platillos favoritos, me dijo que le gusta mucho el pollo con mole; los molcajetes, que son una combinación de diferentes tipos de carnes, queso, nopalitos, etc. El “Patrón Combo” que es una combinación de carnes pero con arroz, frijoles, huacamole y pico de gallo.

¿Qué tal unos chiles rellenos, un filete de pescado o unas fajitas?

Rodolfo es originario de Colima, México. En la actulidad México 1900 da empleo a 17 personas, y aunque los tiempos difíciles por los que pasamos han afectado a todo mundo, afortunadamente el restaurante cuenta con una clientela fiel que reconoce el sabor de la comida auténtica mexicana.

Hay una galería de fotos sobre la cual Rodolfo me comentaba que hay personas que los traían sus papás cuando eran pequeños y ahora esas personas ya son mayores y siguen illendo a México 1900, incluso algunas de esas personas ya tienen hijos y la tradición se va pasando a nuevas generaciones.

Antes de comer, Rodolfo me sugirió tomar una margarita, y escogí una de mango, wow! era una margarita enorme. Por cierto, México 1900 tienen un anuncio en Revista Adelante, y con solo llevar ese anuncio te dan una margarita al ordenar cena.

Si tu intención es simplemente platicar con tus amigos y pasar un buen rato mientras tomas un rico café, ¿qué tal un “Baja Coffee”? es Brandy Presidente y Kahlúa mezclados con café y un poco de crema batida como un toque final.

Mmmmm, ya sé, ¿suena rico verdad? Pues entonces no pierdas la oportunidad y cuando quieras comer algo rico visita el Restaurante México 1900. Están abiertos de martes a sábado de 11am a 10pm, los domingos y lunes de 11am a 9am.

11531 La Mirada Blvd. La Mirada, CA (562) 941-2016 / 941-9113

Buen Provecho.

Buika – El último trago
Warner Music Latina
Grabado a principios de 2009 en Cuba, contine doce temas del repertorio que acompañó a Chavela Vargas a la cima del éxito con temas como; Las ciudades; Las simples cosas; Sombras y Luz de Luna. Ahora la mallorquina resucita estas canciones con sus cuerdas vocales inigualables acompañados por arreglos de Chucho Valdés.

Alejandro Fernández – Dos Mundos. Evolución + Tradición
Universal Music Latino
A muchos nos gusta la interpretación que Alejandro le da tanto a sus temas rancheros como a los temas pop. En esta ocasión le da gusto a sus dos públicos sacando al mismo tiempo un disco ranchero y uno pop, que también están disponibles como disco doble. Ya se escuchan en la radio temas como Se me va la voz, y Estuve.

Thalía – En Primera Fila
Sony Music
Es el segundo de una serie de conciertos realizados sin artificios ni efectos especiales, donde Thalía interpretó temas inéditos como su nuevo éxito Equivocada; un medley de cuatro de sus más grandes éxitos (Entre el May y una Estrella, Piel Morena, No Me Enseñaste y Amor a la Mexicana), así como clásicos del cancionero popular latinoamericano.

Katharine McPhee – Unbroken
Verve Records
Poignant, vital lyrics swell over full, lush melodies. McPhee’s supple, clear voice, resonating with emotion and confidence, caresses each note on this collection of soon-to-be pop classics. Fans first met McPhee on Season Five of American Idol. Her vocals display a new vulnerability and maturity that make Unbroken compelling listening.

Tegan And Sara – Sainthood
Vapor/Sire/Warner Bros.

Sainthood – addresses secular themes of devotion, delusion, and exemplary behavior in the pursuit of love and relationships. Inspired by emotional longing and the quiet actions we hope may be noticed by the objects of our affection. Sainthood is about obsessions with romantic ideals.

DVDs

End of Love
Breaking Glass Pictures

An extraordinary tale of sexual obsession, unrequited love and psychological isolation – evoking imagery and themes from such gay classics as “Brokeback Mountain” and “Boys Love” that are equal parts sensual, eloquent and heartrending while creating a mood and sensibility all its own.

Vicious Circle
Maya Home Entertainment

Ambientada en las actuales calles de Venice Beach, CA Vicious Circle es una trágica historia de amor latina con un toque “punk rock”;

un Romeo y Julieta adolescente, alternativo, sincero, con un toque de misterio muy original. Con Paul Rodríguez Jr. y Emily Ríos.

The Complete Love Comes Softly Collection
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

An emotional journey that follows a courageous group of women – unwavering in their faith – over three generations through their trials, tragedy and triumphs. A truly successful and enduring franchise, the Love Comes Softly series has sold more than 30 million books and 3.5 million DVDs.

Be Mine
Ariztical Entertainment
Mayson has been patiently waiting and dreaming of that ever elusive sweet and perfect first kiss. And, his best friend Robyn thinks it’s about time he kissed a boy! Mayson’s love of chocolate scones brings about an unexpected coffeehouse meeting with a mysterious hunk who buys the last one! However, Mayson’s shyness proves to overcome any possible further development of pursuing a relationship with this new found crush.

The Butch Factor
Wolfe

From the Castro culture of the 1970s to today’s Bears and gym rats, this fascinating investigation of gay men and sexuality blows the lid off old stereotypes and showcases a battalion of interviewees including muscle men, rodeo riders, rugby players and cops. The men speak candidly on topics from homophobia to metrosexuality.

Theatre

RIVERDANCE
The Pantages Theatre
January 12 – 24, 2010
RIVERDANCE, the thunderous celebration of Irish music, song and dance that has tapped its way onto the world stage thrilling millions of people around the globe, will play 16 Farewell Performances in Los Angeles. Discover why nothing in the world compares to The Original International Phenomenon! Whether it’s your first time or your fifth, you won’t want to miss these FAREWELL performances of RIVERDANCE!
www.broadwayla.org

STOMP
The Pantages Theatre
January 26 – February 7, 2010
STOMP is explosive, provocative, sophisticated, sexy, utterly unique and appeals to audiences of all ages. The international percussion sensation has garnered an armful of awards and rave reviews, and has appeared on numerous national television shows. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments – matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps – to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. The return of the percussive hit also brings some new surprises, with some sections of the show now updated and restructured and the addition of two new full-scale routines, utilizing props like tractor tire inner tubes and paint cans. See what all the noise is about.
www.broadwayla.org

Book

Probation
Author: Tom Mendicino
Kensington Publishing Corp.
After being arrested for solicitation in a public rest room on Interstate 85, Andy Nocera is placed on probation. Subsequently, he is thrown out by his wife and fired by his father-in-law, leaving him no other option but to take refuge at his mother’s house, where no questions are asked. The “highlight” of his week is his counseling session with a psychiatrist who’s also a Jesuit priest. Answers don’t come easy, especially in the face of his mother being diagnosed with an aggressive lymphoma, but Andy gradually begins to search for the reasons why he would risk everything for an anonymous sexual encounter.
www.kensingtonbooks.com

Norah Jones – The Fall
Blue Note Records

Beloved by fans for her sultry vocals and jazz-informed, piano-driven pop songwriting, Jones has taken a new direction on The Fall, seeing it as a chance to experiment with different sounds and an opportunity to work with a new set of collaborations, including Jacquire King.

Shakira – She Wolf
Epic Records/Sony Music
A truly global superstar of our time. Her musical style can be called “pop fusion,” characterized by her eclectic tastes, from Middle Eastern beats to heavy metal guitars – and new songs like the slinky, percussive “Long Time” or the rocked-up kiss-off “Mon Amour” illustrate her commitment to remaining a sonic omnivore.

A Family Christmas
Putumayo
Few things evoke more holiday spirit than festive Christmas songs. On A Family Christmas, Putumayo offers a collection of yuletide favorites by a fascinating array of artists that every family is sure to enjoy while trimming the tree or sharing a holiday dinner. Includes “Holly Jolly Christmas”, “Let It Snow”, and many more.

Mercedes Sosa – Cantora
Sony Music

Mercedes Sosa canta lo que le gustaría gritar a los cuatro vientos a las mayorías que permanecen en silencio. Un álbum conmovedor que celebra la vida y la música de la inolvidable cantante folklórica argentina Mercedes Sosa. Contiene duetos con Diego Torres, Lila Downs, Shakira entre otros.

Elán – Recuerdos y Tequila
Warner Music
Para enmarcar la celebración del Bicentenario de la Independencia de México, Elán interpreta 13 temas que celebran la vasta y diversa herencia cultural de México y rinde homenaje a la riqueza de la lengua española y su relevancia alrededor del mundo. Incluye “Te solté la rienda”, “Pero te extraño”, “Ojalá que te vaya bonito” entre otros.

DVDs

Lion’s Den
Strand Releasing

After Julia is sent to the penitentiary for the murder of her lover, she gives birth to a son. Bringing up a child in prison is difficult. Her fellow inmate Marta becomes her ally; her mother Sofía, her opponent. One helps her; the other wishes to take over rearing the child, so that he should grow up outside prison, in freedom.

My Sister’s Keeper
Warner Home Video
Sara and Brian’s life is forever altered when they learn that their daughter Kate has leukemia. They conceive another child, Anna, who is specifically intended to save Kate’s life. The sisters endure various medical procedures and hospital stays. Until Anna, now 11, says “no.” Seeking medical emancipation, she hires her own lawyer, initiating a court case that divides the family and that could leave Kate’s rapidly failing body in the hands of fate.

Angels & Demons
Sony Pictures
Expert symbologist Robert Langdon follows ancient clues on a heart-racing hunt through Rome to find the four Cardinals kidnapped by the deadly secret society, the Illuminati. With the Cardinals’ lives on the line, and the Camerlengo desperate for help, Langdon embarks on a nonstop, action-packed race through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, and the most secretive vault on Earth!

Bajo La Sal
Maya Home Entertainment

El comandante Trujillo, un policía capitalino viaja a Santa Rosa de la Sal, un pueblo cercano a una salinera, para resolver el misterio de una serie de asesinatos. En el lugar descubrirá los secretos que guarda el pueblo, y conocerá a Víctor, un joven oscuro, quien podría ser la clave para encontrar la verdad.

We Were One Man
Water Bearer Films
Guy is trying to live a simple life during World War II. He lives in a small farmhouse outside a sleepy village in France. That is until one day when he stumbles across Rolf, an injured German soldier. Guy brings Rolf home and nurses him back to health. Their lives intertwine, each happy to be sheltered, that is until the war asserts itself back into their lives.

Books

Bob’s World: The Life and Boys of AMG’s Bob Mizer
TASCHEN
Bob Mizer spent 48 years making photos and films for his Athletic Model Guild, and 41 years publishing Physique Pictorial, America’s first, and most explicitly gay physique magazine. His diaries, kept from the age of eight, make it clear that he was openly homosexual from his late teens, but until the age of 42 he lived and worked in his mother’s L.A. rooming house, where his strict ethical code prevented him from fully expressing his fantasies. For 24 years he worked in black and white and never showed a completely naked man, but following his mother’s death in 1964 Mizer built a kingdom dedicated to the pleasures of male flesh, and photographed fully nude men in explicit poses and psychedelically saturated colors.
Hardcover + DVD, 24.5 x 32 cm (9.6 x 12.6 in.), 288 pages
www.taschen.com

Men I Might Have Known
Kensington Publishing Corp.
Most people have experienced that moment when you lock eyes with a perfect stranger and feel a shiver of requited lust. Usually, those opportunities slip by unexplored. In Men I Might Have Known, Brad Saunders uses this as a jumping off point, turning “what if” into “what happened” – playing out these chance encounters in uninhibited stories that tap into our deepest fantasies.
www.kensingtonbooks.com

52 Ways to Create an AIDS-Free World
Fresh Air Books
Based on experiences traveling and working as founder and executive director of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS, Donald Messer suggests 52 ways people from all walks of life can make a difference in eliminating this pandemic.
www.freshairbooks.com